Art Briefs

Posted: Thursday, May 20, 2004

Writers' conference coming up

The Kachemak Bay Writers' Conference is in Homer from June 18 to 22. It will feature award-winning author Maxine Hong Kingston as the keynote presenter, 20 other faculty members of University of Alaska Anchorage and out-of-state presenters including Robert Michael Pyle, Susan Power, John Keeble, Lee Gutkind, David Bradley and Arthur Sze. The conference will be held at Land's End Resort on the Homer Spit and will offer daily workshops, craft talks, manuscript reviews, publisher conferences, panel presentations and evening readings in fiction, nonfiction and poetry.

Advanced registration is required and is $275. One UAA academic credit is offered for an additional $102. For specific program and registration information, visit chinook.kpc.alaska.edu/~conference/ on the Web.

Poetry contest being held

Celestial Arts is holding a poetry contest that is free for anyone to enter. The grand prize is $1,000. To enter, send one poem of 21 lines or less to Celestial Arts, P.O. Box 1140, Talent, OR 97540 or enter online at www.freecontest.com.

The author's name and address must be included with the poem. The deadline for submissions is Saturday. A winner's list will be sent to all entrants.

Kids' summer art workshops planned

Stephanie Cox will offer several art classes for kids. The first is a two-day workshop May 31 and June 1 that will include Eric Carle painting and collage for kindergarten through third-graders and painting and collage with Matisse and Bearden for fourth- through eighth-graders. Another two-day workshop will teach printmaking to kindergarten through third-graders and fourth- through eighth-graders. The cost is $40 plus tax for each two-day session. On June 26, there will be a one-day workshop on painting with watercolors for kindergarten through third-graders and perspective drawing for fourth- through eighth-graders. The cost is $20 plus tax.

To register, e-mail Cox at artroom@acsalaska.net or call her at 260-7459.

Art scholarships to be awarded

The Peninsula Art Guild is accepting applications for its annual scholarships for high school and college art students. College-level student work is being accepted until the end of May. For more information, contact Debbie Harris at 283-7663 or daharris @gci.net.

Outdoor art exhibition accepts entries

The Pratt Museum is planning its 10th annual outdoor art exhibition, "Facing the Elements," to be displayed June 18 through Sept. 30 at the museum's forest ecology trail. The exhibition is completely open to the elements and artwork must be removable, safe to visitors, stable and compatible with the environment. No sharp or jagged objects are allowed. Poets, writers, musicians, dancers, actors and other performance artists are encouraged to participate along with visual artists. The theme this year is "movement."

From 5 to 7 p.m. June 1 there will be a site walk-through and registration with a fee of $10. Registration continues through June 18 at the administration desk. June 15 is the deadline for installing art and submitting brief artist biographies, statements, fees and contracts. The exhibition opens June 18 with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. For more information, contact Shannon Riley at (907) 235-8635, ext. 28, or education@prattmuseum.org or Gale Parsons at (907) 235-8635, ext. 36, or gparsons@prattmuseum.org.

Kids' summer theater camp slated

Kenai Performers is taking registrations for its Summer Theatre Camp 2004 and a summer musical. Session one is open to kids in first through sixth grade and runs for three weeks from June 28 to July 16. Session two is open to grades six through 12 and runs for four weeks from July 19 through Aug. 13. Call Carol Ford at 776-8308 for more information or to register.

Logo design contest announced

The Performing Arts Society, an area nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing classical music and jazz concerts to the central Kenai Peninsula, is sponsoring a competition for an original logo design open to everyone, including students. The logo must include the words "Performing Arts Society."

Submissions should be made on white, unlined paper and artists should have the design available on disc, as well. Send submissions along with your name, address, e-mail address and phone number to Performing Arts Society, P.O. Box 308, Soldotna, AK 99669. The deadline for submission is June 15. The society's board of directors will decide the winning drawing. The winner will be awarded $500 and will be announced at the end of June. For more information, contact Jean Brockel at 262-4084.